Andrew Pudewa believes that the fundamental requisite for being an excellent communicator is listening to quality literature being read aloud.

Why Reading Aloud Makes Good Writers

What do we do when we’re reading silently? We speed read. We skip over the words we don’t know. We hardly pay attention to the articles or pronouns.

But when we read aloud — or listen to something being read aloud — we absorb the sentence structure, the syntax, and the verbs. And the more we listen to the language patterns, the more our brain memorizes the form, creating mental templates of excellent writing. We’re building what Andrew Pudewa calls a “rich database of reliably correct and sophisticated language patterns.”

Why We Should Read Aloud to Children of All Ages

Andrew Pudewa encourages parents to read aloud to their children as much as possible (at least two hours per day), at a level slightly above the oldest student’s reading ability (“decoding skills”, he calls it). “Understanding is highly overrated,” says Pudewa; “you’re building syntax.”

It is amazing what they pick up. We were given the Radio Theatre editions of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobeand Little Womenwhen our oldest was four. We listened in amazement as our daughter’s vocabulary grew exponentially each time she heard the familiar stories again. As our children grow, so does their love for good literature, as well as their verbal dictionary!

But reading aloud is not just for parents of young children. “We usually stop reading aloud when they most desperately need us to continue,” says Andrew Pudewa. Too often, we stop reading aloud to our children once they can read on their own, which is just when they can learn and absorb more than ever.

Homeschool mom Sarah Mackenzie also believes in the power of reading aloud. In 2014, she started a podcast called Read-Aloud Revival, where she shares her passion for helping parents shape their family culture around a shared love for reading. Through her podcast conversations and webinars with educators and experts like Andrew Pudewa and Adam Andrews, Sarah is equipping families around the world with the knowledge of why it is so important to read aloud. The Read-Aloud Revival podcast provides parents with the inspiration and the tools for instilling our children with a love of literature. Sarah even provides challenges to help you create a read-aloud habit in just five minutes a day.

Words from More Digital Wordsmiths

This is something I will have to try. When I have read aloud, my throat starts to hurt, but only because I am using an unnatural voice. This is something I definitely have to practice on, and it will probably help refine my own voice. Thanks!

Wow! What an encouragement! My children readily read for themselves now, and I’ve moved to only reading their schoolbooks to them. (I <3 Mystery of History.) But after reading this, I think I need to read to them other things more!!

Amen! We’ve spent hours of cozy afternoons reading aloud together over the years. Mr. Pudewa is so right. The well written literature goes through our ears and into our minds and hearts, expanding vocabulary, making good grammar second nature, and growing imaginations. Not only that, but the togetherness and the memories of shared books we love is priceless. I am so thankful that we learned the value of reading aloud to our children many years ago!

Growing up one of my favorite times was when my mom would have us climb on the couch (or bed) with her and she would read, for hours. Loved! I love reading to my little ones, but they’re not quite to the point of being able to sit still for too long.

My parents read aloud to me from when I was tiny and somehow I hope to read aloud to my own children. A story is always special, but it’s so much MORE special when it’s shared by reading it aloud. I know that listening to my parents read aloud – as well as listening to audio books by the hour while drawing or colouring or something – enlarged my vocabulary and inspired my imagination.

I’ll be reading a few of the Bower’s books (bowerbooks.com) to the sisters, as well as my Bible. And oh, probably other things too. We’re a group of readers in this house, heardly an hour goes by with out a “Can you read this to me?”

Hello, I’m Gretchen.

My love affair with the written word began at age 3 1/2. My husband and I went bookshopping on our honeymoon. And now, we work together to instill a love of reading and a passion for good books in our four children. Read more...